Three Days Upside Down
by Braelyn Rae
Summary: Based on the episode "The Doctor in the Photo" – my take. Micah never existed, the doctor never existed, and she certainly never told Booth she loved him. It was all in her head—but why did she imagine the whole thing? What happened? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Three Days Upside Down

Summary: Based on the episode "The Doctor in the Photo" – my take on what really happened. Micah never existed, the doctor never existed, and she certainly never told Booth she loved him. It was all in her head—but why did she imagine the whole thing? What happened?

Rating: T, or PG-13 just to be safe.

Disclaimer: I don't know anything. Literally.

A/N: I don't know about you guys, but through the entire episode I felt as though something was fishy… that something was off… like it was all a dream or something. The episode reminded me of the one when Booth had the tumor. So I decided to add something to the story, changing it to how I thought it would end.

* * *

Brennan would never have described herself as crazy, because she wasn't. She had perfectly good and sane reasons as to why she had been hallucinating and talking to herself during her most recent case; reasons that all of her friends and coworkers quickly took as fact. Firstly, the case had hit close to home. Brennan hesitantly admitted that she couldn't stay objected and rational because of it, despite the fact that she would argue otherwise if there had not been evidence of her being irrational. She also concluded that the hallucinations were due to lack of sleep and proper nourishment. She had pushed herself too much recently, and her mind was reeling to catch up with her, causing her world to be upside down for three days. Yes, there was a perfectly logical reason for everything that occurred. She was no more insane than she was sane.

That is what she told herself, repeatedly, the day the case was solved. There was no reason she shouldn't have felt relieved when she could see straight again. Everything was back to normal. Everything except him.

She would admit that she had lost all judgment when she told Booth of her feelings. And she continued to kick herself for breaking down into tears—she was stronger than that. Of course she hadn't expected him to jump at the chance to be with her and dump Hannah, nor would she want him to. He was better than that. But she couldn't help but feel hurt, foolish, and a little embarrassed. And rejected.

She could see clearly now—that's all what mattered. She saw her behavior from the previous days and it appalled her. She had been so irrational. Yet, even now, she was replaying scenes in her mind, wondering how she could have done things differently. It wasn't like her. She didn't second guess herself- ever. She would learn from her mistakes and move on. But… somehow telling herself that wasn't working. The clip of being in the car with Booth played over and over until she thought her head would explode, though she knew that was impossible, but she now understood that common phrase.

"Hello, Doctor Brennan."

Brennan looked up from behind her desk and smiled warmly. "Hello Micah."

"You looked a little lost there… like you were far away. Everything okay?"

It took her a moment to realize he wasn't being literal. "Yes, everything is fine. We solved the case."

"So I heard… you don't sound too excited about it. The, uh, the dead doctor still speaking to you?"

Brennan blushed slightly. "No. The victim was dead; obviously she wasn't actually talking to me. I realized that was the result of no sleep or proper nourishment."

Micah nodded in agreement. "That must be it." There was a pause. "So what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be out celebrating with Booth and the team or catching up on some z's?"

"I needed to think… to clear my head."

The night guard took a few steps into the office, leaning up against her desk. "Thinking about what?"

"Everything… the last couple days mostly." Brennan didn't know why she was being so open. There was no reason to tell anyone anything… but somehow telling Micah seemed… right.

He didn't say anything, just gave her a slight smile, as if telling her to continue.

"Fine," she began with a sigh, leaning back in her chair. "I did some things… well, said some things…"

"To Booth?"

Brennan's eyes flashed with surprise. "Yes… how did you know?"

"It's always guy issues." Micah answered with a shrug.

"I wouldn't say it was issues, or an issue. I said something that was premature and slightly inappropriate for the time."

"You told him you loved him."

The anthropologist's mouth gaped open. "How did you know that?"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"That's impossible." She quickly retorted, but her mind flashed back to the man who had loved the deceased doctor. Somehow she knew it was, in some unexplainable way, possible.

Micah smiled. "I can see you don't believe that either."

Brennan sighed. "What do I do?"

"Love is a chemical process which causes delusion."

"Another lecture?"

Micah shook his head fondly. "No, I actually heard that from a brilliant forensic anthropologist a while back. The same anthropologist who seems to be struggling with this delusion."

"I was wrong." Brennan stated sadly. "My logic failed me. Although it is true about the chemical process and all… the feeling you get… that's not a delusion. That's love. It's the result of the chemical process. I was wrong…. It is the biggest mistake of my life."

"Now, now, don't be like that. Go home and sleep it off. You'll feel better in the morning."

Brennan shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. I have a strange feeling that things will only get worse from here. That I'll be spiraling downhill… unable to stop myself. I have nothing to show for my life. Nothing. My work, it will be meaningless. My life… no one would remember me after a while. My friends all have someone… they would move on. I would simply cease to exist…"

"Sounds familiar, huh?"

Brennan snapped her head to look at Micah, despite the fact the voice had not come from him… it had come from her.

"What did you say?"

"I said, sounds familiar, huh?" Immediately, the image of Micah morphed into one of herself, dressed in the attire of the belated doctor.

Brennan glanced around the room, her breathing escalating. "What's happening? You're not me! Where's Micah?"

"He couldn't handle being around you anymore—no one can." She watched herself speak. "You're just a lonely, regretful, pathetic person who has no one to love her."

The anthropologist felt familiar tears spring into her eyes. "Shut up."

"Your parents didn't love you. Your brother couldn't stand to be around you. Your so-called friends are better without you. You bring nothing into their lives except misery."

"No, that's not true. You're not even real… you're a hallucination!" Brennan fumed. She knew this wasn't happening. It wasn't possible. But each word pained her just the same. She tried to control her emotions, to keep herself strong. It was nothing she had never thought from time to time.

"You're pathetic. Your brain is useless if no one cares to listen to you. You drive everyone away from you."

"Stop it!" She irrationally screamed; her brain knew she was only screaming at herself while her heart felt justified. "You're lying! I'm lying! This… this isn't right!"

"Bones…"

"GO AWAY!" There was silence. It took her brain a full minute to process that her nick-name had been uttered by _him_. "Booth?"

"Yes, it's me, Bones."

She looked around the room, but couldn't see him. "Where are you?"

"I'm here, Bones."

"Where?"

"Look at me, Bones. You need to look at me."

Anger fumed throughout her body. "I can't see you!"

"Please, Bones. Don't do this to me."

Brennan felt two hands hold upper arms. She looked down and saw nothing. "What's happening to me?" She whispered to no one in particular.

"Bones open your eyes. Please… please just open your eyes."

She was confused. Her eyes were open, but he wasn't there. She could hear him, but she couldn't see him. She wanted to cry. Everything was so wrong. Her brain reminded her this wasn't possible, none of this.

"Bones." He sounded like he was crying.

She felt a drop of water on her cheek, but when she reached to brush it away, it was already gone, as though it was never there.

"God damnit, Bones. This isn't funny. Open your damn eyes!"

Everything around her slowly disappeared until there was nothing left… nothing except the blackness.

* * *

More to come. Drop a review. :D


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, I am overwhelmed by all your alerts and reviews (not in a bad way, don't stop reviewing!). Thank you guys! Hopefully this chapter will clear up a few things, if it doesn't, the next chapter or two will for sure. :)

* * *

**One day earlier…**

_Thump._

Booth woke with a start. "Bones?"

"Hey Seeley, it's me." A soft voice responded.

The FBI agent rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. He looked up and immediately his girlfriend's lips were upon his. "Hey Hannah," he greeted tiredly as they pulled apart. "What time is it?"

The blonde woman pulled a chair next to him and sat down. "A little after eight. Don't you have to be at work?"

Booth shook his head. "I asked for another day off… just until… you know." His head turned towards his partner, Hannah quickly followed his gaze.

She looked so peaceful, as if she was asleep… almost. It was hard to overlook the breathing tube that was pushed down her throat, or her head that was completely bandaged up, or even the machines and IV's they hooked her up to. It all seemed so wrong. It made her look so weak, so fragile, as though she were not even his Bones.

Hannah's arm snaked around his shoulders. "Baby, maybe you should go home and rest. No one would be comfortable in that chair. Your back has to be killing—"

"I'm not leaving." He said, leaving no room for any negotiation. "Not until I know she's alright."

The reporter reached into her purse and pulled out a bag of doughnuts. "Here. I didn't get you coffee because I had to swing by my office and I didn't want it to get cold, but I'll go get you some now, okay?"

As she got up to leave, Booth grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Yeah, anytime." With a quick kiss on the cheek, she was gone.

Booth groaned as he leaned back against the hospital chair. Hannah was right; sleeping in a chair two nights in a row was definitely not good for his back, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He was not going to leave his partner's side, especially not when it was his fault she was here in the first place. He shuddered at the thought, and before he could help it, his mind drifted back to that horrible day…

"_Bones stay back!"_

_Brennan ignored him and scooted closer behind him as they entered the abandoned building._

_The FBI agent groaned. "Maybe we should wait for backup…" he began hesitantly.  
_

"_They could destroy the evidence by then!" Brennan responded, aghast.  
_

_Booth battled the decision in his mind before groaning again. "Fine." He agreed reluctantly. "But you have to stay far behind me, you got it?"  
_

_She nodded. "Sure."  
_

"_Okay," he raised his gun and rounded a corner, eyes alert and ready. He winced as he heard his partners steps trail only seconds behind him. She needed to learn to listen to him or she was going to get herself killed. _

"_Remember, we're looking for a sharp—"_

"_SHHHH!" He hushed the oblivious anthropologist. It was as though the woman had no concept of fear. "Bones, do you want to die?" _

"_No, I—"_

"_SHH!" He shook his head and rolled his eyes and continued his journey down the corridor. He caught movement in the corner of his eye and halted, his partner bumping into him. "Hey! Freeze! FBI!"_

_The figure did as ordered. _

"_Turn around. Lower your weapon!" He ordered taking a few steps closer to their suspect. Again, the man did as ordered, tossing the handgun to the side. "Bet you didn't expect to see us so soon, now did you?"_

"_Actually, we did."_

_Booth whipped his head to the right and froze. The gun trained on his partner gave him a mini __heart attack. _

"_Lower your weapon, Agent Booth."__  
_

_Booth licked his lips, debating. "Not until you do, __Swiridoff__."__  
_

_The man didn't seem to like that response. "Lower your weapon or I'll shoot her."__  
_

"_I'm a trained sniper. I can shoot that gun out of your hand before you even have a chance to pull the trigger. Why don't you do us all a favor and lower your weapon."__  
_

_Swiridoff __smiled slightly, as if challenging the agent. "I will only say this one more time. Lower your weapon and no one will get hurt."__  
_

_Booth didn't like the look in his eyes. It took a split second before he realized__ Swiridoff__ was reaching for the trigger. In that instant, Booth pulled his. There was a loud bang, louder than usual. His ears were ringing as he watched their suspect fly against the wall, then slowly slide down, blood escaping the wound on his chest.__  
_

"_You oka—" As he turned, his face paled. "Bones!"__  
_

_His partner had crumpled into a ball on the floor beside him, a river of blood formed from beneath her. He kneeled next to her, and that's when he saw it—the bullet in her brain.__  
_

Booth rubbed his eyes again, this time to remove any trace of tears. He was to blame for his partner being in the condition she was in. He was too slow, and it may have cost Bones' life.  
It was a miracle she was even alive. She had been shot… in the head. People weren't supposed to live when they are shot in the head, it just didn't happen. Ever. He thought back to the night at the hospital when the doctor came out after the surgery…

"_Temperance Brennan?" A voice spoke softly.__  
_

_Instantly Booth was on his feet, Angela, Cam, and Hodgins quickly followed suit.__  
_

"_Are you relatives to Temperance?" A middle-aged doctor asked.__  
_

_Booth shook his head. "No, she's my partner."__  
_

"_And my best friend!" Angela added.__  
_

_The doctor nodded. "My name is Diane Copeland, I'm Temperance's doctor."_

"_How is she?" Angela asked. _

_Booth wanted to vomit. There was no way in hell she was alive. She had been shot in the head, she wasn't even breathing when the EMT guys arrived. Childishly, he wanted to cover his ears and scream so he couldn't hear the doctor speak. _

"_What have you been told?" _

"_Nothing." Hodgins answered for the artist, eyeing Booth angrily. "We haven't been told a thing."_

_It was true. When they arrived, Angela was crying and demanding answers, he stayed quiet. He couldn't tell her… he wouldn't. _

_Diane hesitated. "Okay, Temperance—" _

"_Doctor Brennan," Booth interrupted, as if on autopilot. "She likes to be called doctor Brennan."_

"_Doctor Brennan," she corrected, "has sustained a gunshot to her head."_

"_Oh my God!" Angela shrieked, her eyes falling upon Booth, who quickly looked away. _

_Hodgins didn't say anything, he simply ushered Angela back into a sitting position. _

"_Is she dead?" Booth finally uttered after a moment of silence. _

_The doctor shook her head. "No, but she should be." She smiled. "The bullet completely passed straight through her brain. It entered in at the middle of her forehead and exited from the back of her head. Now, I've been a neurosurgeon for over seven year, seen a lot of similar wounds, but nothing like this. It is the most unreal thing I have ever witnessed. If you believe in a God, chalk this one up to Him because we have no science explaining why. She is an absolute miracle."_

_Booth stared at her, dumbfounded. _

"_Is she going to be alright?" Cam asked. _

"_That's more difficult to say. We had to perform a surgery called a debridgement, where we removed as much of the bullet we could without risking further injury. Right now Temp—, uh, doctor Brennan is in a coma, which is common after such injury. Her brain activity is low, but stable. We're hoping with time her body will be able to heal itself and she'll wake up."_

"_Heal itself? There isn't anything else you can do for her?" Booth asked. _

"_Unfortunately due to this type of injury, there isn't. We will be keeping her closely monitored. The chances for an infection is high and if that happens…" She trailed off, not needing to say anything more. _

"_If she wakes up, will she be the same?" Hodgins asked. _

_Booth held his breathe. A bullet passed through her genius brain, how could she be the same?_

"_It is difficult to predict what type of physical and mental problems a person might experience following a gunshot wound to the brain. Because the frontal area of the brain is often injured, many people with gunshot wounds have difficulty with attention, learning, memory, and problem solving. If she does wake up, she will probably need help; some supervision for a while, or she could be completely fine and be able to return to her job in as little as a month. I'm not saying this to scare you, I just want you all to know the seriousness of this wound…"_

"Here."

Hannah's voice brought him back to reality. He slowly accepted the cup of coffee.

"Where were you?"

"Pardon?" He asked, confused.

"What were you thinking about?"

He sighed. "That night…"

Hannah smiled sadly. "I'm sorry this happened, Booth. I wish I could say something that would make this all better."

"I know," Booth smiled back. "Thank you for all your help; for being here with me."

"Yeah," the reporter nodded. "Temperance is was—is my friend too. I care for her."

Booth sighed. "I'm going to the chapel. Call me if anything happens."

"Sure."

The FBI agent rose from his chair. This would be the second time he would use the hospital's chapel. The first time was the night she was brought in. He thanked God for saving her life, for saving all of their lives. It would have been impossible for any of them to move on fully if she hadn't made it.

Booth sank into the front pew and lowered his head, begging God to perform just one more miracle…

* * *

And that's it for now. Just quickly wanted everyone to know that it is TOTALLY possible for a person to live after a shot to the brain. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen more than you think it would. All medical talk was from a transcript of a real case where a woman was shot and lived. Oh, and, the reason I had her shot in the brain is because the next Bones' episode is titled "The Bullet in the Brain" and I before I finish watching this episode I was sure that this is where the writers were going. Anyways, enough said. Lemme know what _you _thought about it.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is a little rushed, I know, but I didn't have a whole lot of time. :P

* * *

Angela came in to visit a little after noon. She was still furious from the night before and refused to talk to Hodgins, who had forced her to leave her best friend's side for the sake of their baby. Hodgins seemed to understand and tried to keep low, letting her cool off at her own pace.

"The doctor didn't say anything else?"

Booth sighed at the question. She had asked it four times now. "No, there's nothing new to report. Bones is in…" he swallowed, trying to form the word. "In a coma."

Angela squirmed in her seat. "Did anyone call her family?"

"We couldn't get a hold of her brother and we're not sure where her dad is off to." Hodgins answered for the exhausted agent. "Honey, we've been over this. They'll be here when they get our messages."

"Booth will you please tell Hodgins to call again."

Hodgins rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said as he stood. "I'll go leave a third message…"

"Where's Hannah?" Angela asked as the entomologist left the room.

Hannah was a Godsend. His girlfriend had spent almost as much time at the hospital as he had, and when she wasn't there, she was constantly checking in on them, making sure they all had food… he didn't know what he would have done without her. "She had to go to work today…"

Angela nodded understandingly. "Oh."

"Do you…" he hesitated, turning to the artist. "I mean… she's pretty awesome, right?"

"Um, yeah. She great, Booth, really great."

The FBI agent smiled. "Yeah she is, isn't she? She's a good fit for us… don't you think?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah, I think she is. We all get along with her and she seems to enjoy our company. Bren said she was good with Parker."

"Yeah." His smile grew. "She was awes—"

A quickened beeping from a machine above the hospital bed cut his sentence short. The two friends quickly turned their attentions to the monitors displaying the condition of Brennan, though neither could understand the readings.

"Um…" Booth began, unsure.

The beeping grew louder and more constant, completely freaking them both out.

"What's going on?" Angela asked, loosing color in her cheeks.

Booth rose from his chair and hurried into the hallway. He was about to call out for a nurse, but there was no need—a team of lab-coat wearing people was already hurrying towards him, pushing a cart with another machine. He stepped aside as they ushered their way in. It wasn't until he saw the defibrillator that he realized the seriousness of the beeping.

"Bones…" he muttered to himself, his eyes growing wide.

Booth let a nurse push him back as they began to speak a language he no longer could comprehend. He couldn't comprehend anything. His Bones looked alone, lost in the swarms of white coats. He found his way to the other side of her bed, kneeling beside her.

"It's me, Bones." He whispered. "I'm here, Bones."

He heard Angela crying in the corner of the room. He turned to look at her, but his eyes settled on a doctor as they charged the paddles. His heart quickened and he quickly turned back to the anthropologist. "Look at me, Bones." He demanded. "You need to look at me."

"Charging to four hundred!" A yelled through the ruckus.

"Please, Bones. Don't do this to me." He reached for her, grasping her arms—in seconds they were pushed aside by a nurse. "Bones open your eyes. Please… please just open your eyes."

She couldn't hear him; he knew that. He couldn't hear himself above the noise level in the room. He couldn't hear anything but one lone constant beep—she was flat lining. "Bones." He didn't realize he was crying until a tear spilled from his eyes and onto her cheek. He quickly brushed it away. He spoke into her ears, "God Damnit, Bones. This isn't funny. Open your damn eyes!"

By now someone had grabbed a hold of him and was pulling him from the room. He didn't bother to put up a fight.

* * *

She had died. Yes, they got her heart starting again, but she was dead for at least twenty-seven seconds. It was the worst and most traumatizing twenty-seven seconds of his life. In that small handful of time, he felt like a piece of him was dying as well. A part of him that he had given to her through the years— a part that he couldn't get back.

The doctor gave no explanation, just merely responded that things like this happened with comatose patients. The assurance of her being stable was not much of a relief, but enough so that Hodgins took the opportunity to take Angela down to the cafeteria for lunch. Booth declined their offer to join them and found his way back to the side of her bed.

"You would find this ridiculous and irrational, wouldn't you? Me talking to you…. You would say that a person in a coma couldn't hear you, that it was pointless or something along those lines…" Booth sighed. "I get that; I feel a little foolish myself, but if there is any chance you can hear me, I want you to know that I'm here. That someone is always here—we're not going anywhere, and neither should you."

He waited a moment, still feeling slightly self-conscious. "Bones… I uh, I'm sorry for what happened. I know technically it wasn't my fault, but if I had been faster, you wouldn't be in this mess—we wouldn't be in this mess. We'd probably be at the diner, celebrating. I'd get pie…" He trailed off as he reminisced the scene in his mind. "Just like old times, huh?"

"No…" he shook his head, reality sinking in. "No we wouldn't. There would be no pie. I would have gone home to Hannah and you would have done whatever you do."

_What did she do?_ He didn't even know. Before Hannah, he knew her schedule like the back of his hand. He could always pinpoint where she would be during or after a case, and it was usually with him or one of the squints. But after Hannah, he normally went home. Hodgins and Angela didn't get out much due to the pregnancy, and Cam had Michelle issues. What exactly did she do?

He felt guilty. Guilty he hadn't included her more, guilty that he had unconsciously been pushing her away the last few months, guilty that he hadn't realized it, but most of all… guilty that he might not have an opportunity to fix it.

Six years of partnership and friendship and he tossed it down the drain. He was glad Bones was so rational. If she was a typical girl with typical girl feelings he may have hurt her, but this was Bones he was talking about. If she even noticed, it probably rolled right off her shoulder without a second thought. She wouldn't have taken it personally; she would have computed some logical reason for him excluding her more and more. She would have understood that what he and Hannah had was something special, something to cherish. She would understand that… right?

He groaned and buried his head into his hands. _God, I'm such an idiot…_

_

* * *

_

Did anyone notice the dialogue in the part Brennan was dying (or died) was the same dialogue in the first chapter? ;)

I'll try to update soon, but it definitely won't be until after Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I pray you all have a fantastic day!


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I feel bad for taking so long. I could use the excuse that it was Christmas, or that I felt a little down because I only received one review for my last chapter, but I won't because it's not true. It was pure laziness. I apologize. To make up for it, I forced myself to sit down and write this entire chapter immediately. Hope it was worth the wait. :)_

* * *

Everything was fuzzy. The noise, people, lights… everything. It was a strange feeling; she couldn't quite describe it. Everything felt so close, as though she could reach out and touch it, but yet everything felt so far away, as though she was a million miles away. It was all just a huge fuzzball. She fought against her heavy eyelids, determined to wait until her vision cleared and she could see properly, but alas they got the best of her and pulled over her eyes. Before she went back into the darkness, her strained ears heard someone mutter one simple word: _Bones_.

* * *

The next time she woke was a lot like the first. Everything still seemed fuzzy, so very blurry—but at least she could hold her eyes open longer. Things gradually came into focus, first it was the small light overhead, the light that after staring at for several minutes temporarily blinded her. Next she realized it was dark, nighttime. Then she took in her surroundings. She was in a bed, with IV's stuck in her veins and a tube down her throat. As soon as the realization hit her so did the panic. There was a tube shoved down her throat that did not belong there.

She tried to fight against it. She felt like it was swallowing her up. She was suffocating—she couldn't breathe. Her entire body stiffened and soon she began to cough. She felt like she was going to vomit. That would be good, vomit the damn tube out of her lungs.

Two strong hands held down her shaking shoulders as she continued to fight against the tube. She barely registered the noise level rising in the room or the voice that spoke to her, trying to calm her. Soon the voice passed through the walls of confusion and she managed to comprehend what was being said.

"Don't fight it." A voice ordered. "Relax, just don't fight it."

How was that possible? Every part of her body screamed in protest to the unnatural plastic in her throat.

"You're the hospital," the voice continued. "Can you blink? Nod? Do you want me to remove the tube?"

Brennan nodded and blinked adamantly.

"Okay, you need to hold still."

The two hands on her shoulders tightened, as though expecting resistance. She watched as a nurse reached for the tubing and began to pull. Her insides twisted in a horrid way and her throat felt like it was being sliced with every inch it moved. The sensation to vomit was so strong it took every bit of will power to hold back. The second the tube was removed an oxygen mask was pressed over her mouth. She coughed, her lungs which were not used to functioning on their own, were raw and on fire as she took the first couple breaths. The process was much harder than she remembered it being.

"Just breathe, that's it." The voice coaxed. "You're doing great. I'm doctor Copeland."

A figure moved to her side and smiled widely. "Hey Bones, it's me. You just about gave me a heart attack. I think I aged twenty years. You are never, ever, allowed to do that again."

She looked puzzled for a moment and, removing the mask, turned back to the doctor. "Where I am?" Her voice was raspy and dry. It killed her to even speak.

"You are at Sibley Memorial Hospital," the doctor supplied. "You were shot…"

Memories flooded through her head, like pieces of a puzzle. "I remember."

"Good!" The doctor praised. "It is very common to not remember the trauma, so this is very good news."

"How long?" She rasped again.

The man beside her—Booth, that was his name—leaned forward, his goofy smile still glued to his face. "You were shot in the head, Bones. You've been in a coma for three days."

Shot in the head? How was she even alive?

"It's a miracle you're alive, Bones."

Right. He was religious… when had she forgotten that?

"Do you remember your name?"

_Of course I know my name. _She thought to herself. "Temperance…" she paused, taking a moment to think. What had the doctor called her? Dr… Brendan? Brenner? Brennan? Right, that was it. "Brennan. Temperance Brennan."

Doctor Copeland smiled slightly. "Good." His voice didn't sound very positive. "Do you remember your date of birth?"

Brennan opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came out. Confusion rose inside of her, as well as anger and annoyance. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't' she remember?

"What's wrong with her, doc?" Booth asked, worried.

"Agent Booth, as we have already discussed, we can't possibly know the side affects of the damage the bullet or the coma caused. In time she may remember things or she won't."

She, as if on autopilot, rambled off some number, to which brought a smile once again to Booth's face.

"See? She remembers!" He said, overjoyed.

"We'll see." Doctor Copeland responded, then turned back to her. "Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

When the three fingers went up the anthropologist wanted to roll her eyes. "I'm not a child, Doctor Copeland," she insisted. "My vision has not been impaired."

"See!" Booth shouted again. "She even sounds like herself!"

The doctor cracked a smile. "If you say so. Okay, Temperance, can you wiggle your toes?"

It sounded simple enough.

"Temperance?"

She looked at Booth.

"What?"

"Wiggle your toes."

"I am." She said, confused. She watched as the doctor and Booth shared a concerned glance. "What?" She practically screamed, instantly regretting it as her throat protested in pain.

"Try moving your foot." The doctor suggested.

She did.

"Well, she's not paralyzed…" she heard her mutter. "Try lifting your arms."

She tried, but they felt like heavy weights. She barely lifted them an inch off the bed before they collapsed back onto the sheets. She had never felt so pathetic, so weak, so… sleepy.

"That's enough for now," Copeland spoke.

Booth scooted his chair closer to her. "Hey." She wanted to respond, but her eyelids began to feel unnaturally heavy… "Angela and Hodgins are on their way. They're so excited to see you."

She managed a small smile before her eyes shut altogether. She felt her breathing slow down as her body prepared itself for sleep. Before she was completely unconscious, she heard Booth mutter beside her:

"Thank you God for keeping her safe... for saving her life..."

* * *

And that's all for now! Drop me a note and let me know what you think, it might just encourage me to write another chapter immediately. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I promise that I was planning on getting this done a couple days ago, but something happened. It snowed. Now that may not seem like a big deal, but when you live in a small desert town that gets snow twice in a decade (and not even enough to build a snowman!), you act like a little kid and demand to play in it. So yeah, I had a blast. Sorry about the wait. I really should feel guiltier, huh?

* * *

It had killed him to not jump up and down and act like an idiot the moment her eyes opened. The doctor had warned them all that such behavior would be inadvisable as it could possibly worsen Bones' condition, which is the only reason he didn't do it.

Bones had technically woken up three times, but the first two times the doctors shrugged off as a fluke, saying it wasn't important unless she was conscious longer than two seconds. So when she woke up for the third time, he had a mini heart attack. Not a bad one, just one that restarted his heart so he could breathe again. He had never been so relived in his entire life. He felt like a giant weight was lifted from his shoulders.

The feeling had a little damper once Bones fell back asleep and the doctor informed him that although she seemed okay, there could be serious issues they couldn't possibly know of. The brain was a tricky machine, and despite Bones' being well oiled, even she could be affected by a bullet. Time would tell.

Hodgins and Angela arrived, Angela already in tears at the news. Her and Hodgins seemed to be on speaking terms again as they nearly exploded with questions. As he recanted the event of Bones' awakening, he couldn't help the permanent smile that formed from his lips. He had never felt like this before—there was a strange feeling of something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was something good.

Cam and Sweets showed up not long later, Hannah right behind them. She had seemed as excited as he was, and brought Bones a bouquet of flowers to welcome her back.

The celebration of Bones' awakening didn't last long before the anthropologist began to stir in her sleep. Her friends watched in awe, as if watching a child take its first steps, and she began to open her eyes for the fourth time.

Smiles were abundant, as were sighs of relief. Angela and Booth, who sat at opposites sides, immediately leaned towards her.

"Hey sweetie!" Angela greeted warmly. "It's great to see you awake."

Bones seemed to take time to take in her surroundings once again. She ignored Angela's greeting as she cast her eyes around the room and the people in it. Finally she spoke with a raspy voice, "W-what…?"

The confusion on her face was not hard to see.

"Bones," Booth started, catching her gaze. "Don't you remember? You are in the hospital. You were shot."

Bones closed her eyes and bit her dry, cracked lips. A moment later she opened them and nodded slightly. "Right. Shot in the head…"

"Yeah," Booth said, still uncomfortable by the memory. "How do you feel?"

She swallowed and hesitated. "I don't know… weird. Different. Like I'm missing something."

Booth knitted his brows together in confusion. "I'm sure it's just the medications, Bones."

She nodded again, accepting his answer.

"We've missed you, Doctor Brennan." Hodgins spoke at last. "It hasn't been the same without you."

"Yeah," Cam agreed. "It'll be good to have you back."

She smiled slightly. It was obvious she felt uncomfortable about the situation. Or was she uncomfortable with them? Booth couldn't tell.

"I brought you some flowers," Hannah finally spoke. "And this, Parker asked me to give this to you."

She handed Bones a child's drawing, to which the anthropologist simply stared at. After a moment of silence, Bones smiled. "That was nice of him."

Booth eyed his partner cautiously. He could tell something was wrong. He had never seen her act so… so slow before. She could process things in that mind of her ten times quicker than everyone else he knew, but now she was taking minutes to comprehend even the easiest of things. He hoped it was the medication slowing her down and nothing else.

"It is good to see you again, Doctor Brennan." Sweets, who had been watching her closely, finally quipped. "You are looking very well under the circumstance."

Again, Bones took a moment before she even reacted to his words. "Thank you."

The door opened to the small room and doctor Copeland entered. "Ahh, welcome back, Doctor Brennan. How are you feeling?"

Bones hesitated. "Well, considering."

The doctor nodded. "Okay, well, we have a couple tests we need to do to see what's been affected by the bullet to your brain. So if everyone could leave…"

"Can I stay with her?" Angela asked. "I think it'd be better if she had someone here with her."

"Absolutely, as long as it's okay with Dr. Brennan…?"

Bones nodded her response a moment later. "Y-yes, that would be fine."

Everyone else said their goodbyes and filed out of the room slowly. Booth jogged to catch up with Sweets down the hall from Bones' room.

"Hey, wait up!" Booth called out.

The psychologist paused and turned around. "What's wrong, Booth?"

Booth waved him away. "Don't start with me. I noticed the way you were studying Bones. Come on, out with it. What's your professional opinion? Is she going to be okay?"

"My professional opinion is worthless at the moment, Booth. I'm not that kind of doctor. I suggest you talk to doctor Copeland after she runs her tests, she would have a more accurate understanding of Dr. Brennan's condition."

"So you do have an understanding of her condition," Booth began. "Come on, just let me know what's wrong with my partner."

Sweets sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Why don't we get some coffee?"

The two of them were silent as they made their way to the waiting room, where they found a coffee machine. After they both filled got their coffee, they sat down.

"Okay, just based off what I witnessed in there, I would say that Dr. Brennan is doing fantastic. In all actuality, she shouldn't even be alive, let alone able to do basic functions. It is surprising she can even speak, let alone process information. Her memory seems in tact for the most part."

Booth sensed there was more. "But…?"

"But upon observing her responses," the psychologist began with a sigh, "it is possible that she may never fully recover."

"Meaning?" The FBI agent asked, not sure he wanted the answer.

Sweets licked his lips uncomfortably. "Surely you noticed her hesitation."

"Yeah, of course I did. I am a trained special agent. I just figured that was common after a brain injury."

"It is." Sweets assured. "But unfortunately her processing time and sluggish responses is more than likely permanent."

"What do you mean?" Booth question. Sweets seemed so calm by it all, surely it wasn't that bad. "You mean she's retarded?"

"No, not at all. I haven't had enough time to observe her condition. I'm merely stating possible facts. It may mean that her brain is permanently damaged." His voice grew serious. He sounded years above his age. "She may not be the Dr. Brennan that we've come to know."

Booth's eyes widened. "What? There's gotta be something we can do!"

"The brain is very tricky. It may heal itself, it may not. There are many medical advances that are being made in this field—"

"So it's possible she could be normal eventually." Booth interrupted.

"Totally possible," he responded, sounding like a teenager now. "I just felt like you should know the reality of her condition. No sugar coating."

"I appreciate that, doc." Booth said with a nod, still absorbing the information. "Thanks, I'm just going to…" He trailed off, walking away.

"Booth!"

He turned around, annoyed.

"It's going to be okay, just have faith."

He wanted to roll his eyes, but he let a small smile slid across his lips. "You really believe that?"

"No," Sweets shook his head. "No, but you do."

He nodded and turned to leave again. He needed a moment to himself, to sort everything out. He found his way outside and let himself collapse onto a bench, both exhausted physically and mentally. He saw Hannah exit the hospital and stood, walking away.

"Booth, are you okay? Where are you going?" She seemed genuinely worried.

"Home." He answered with a voice of defeat.

Hannah followed at a safe distance, being cautious. "Is everything okay?"

Booth stopped in his tracks. He turned to face her, fuming. "Is everything okay? Seriously? My partner just woke up from a coma!"

"I know that, Seeley, I was just in there." She responded softly. "That is amazing, a freak of nature, a miracle, whatever you want to call it. It's good news, why are you acting as if she died?"

"Well she might as well have!" He shouted, instantly regretting his words.

The woman stared at him, confused. "What?"

He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want it to be reality. He wanted to forget everything that Sweets had just told him. But he couldn't. It was burned within him.

"Booth, what happened?" Hannah took a couple steps forward. "What did Sweets say?"

He wiped away his tears before they could shed, trying to stay strong. But the dam was leaking, and in less than a minute he completely fell apart. He leaned back against the stone bench; Hannah's arms instantly found their way across his shoulders. He cried like he never cried before. He couldn't speak, even if he wanted to. So many emotions rushed throughout his body. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but he couldn't because it was the fucking reality.

* * *

Okay, just an fyi, I don't curse… ever. I absolutely hate writing the "f" word, but it seemed to fit. Don't know why I felt the need to mention that, but I feel better now. Anyways, thanks for reading. Hope you like it. Drop a note and let me know. :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I know, I know, I'm a horrible person. I apologize for the long wait, though in my defense I was truly unable to write. I had an accident while rappelling with friends and burned my hand really bad from the rope, so it was all bandaged up and I realized it's REALLY hard to type with only one hand. So again, I apologize, I promise I tried to get this done as soon as I could!

* * *

It was early, six am maybe, when Booth found his way back to hospital. He hadn't been able to sleep a wink. His mind replayed his conversation with Sweets over and over again, the conversation he chose not to share with Hannah, despite her persistence in knowing. She had been so understanding, so patient during the entire ordeal, that he was surprised by her offense in keeping the details about Bones a secret.

The night nurses knew him well now that they let him break the visitation rules without a fuss—he didn't even need to show his badge again as he made his way past the nurses station and into Bones' room. He stood at the door, watching her sleep all peaceful-like before he stumbled his way to the chair he had practically been living in the past few days.

Thinking he had done a good job keeping quiet with his ninja, stealth-like moves, he nearly jumped out of his chair as two piercing blue orbs met his gaze. "Geez Bones! You scared me."

She smiled softly, not looking the littlest bit sleepy. "I'm sorry."

Booth chuckled it off. "It's okay. How are you feeling?"

"I didn't mean just for that," her voice said with all seriousness and caution. "I am sorry for what I said, for putting you in that position, for leaving things the way we did. It wasn't fair of me."

Surprised by a normal sounding Bones, the agent wrinkled his brow in confusion. He thought back to their last conversation, but he couldn't remember an instance to which Bones would feel the need to apologize for her actions. "What conversation?"

She looked hurt, deeply hurt, but she quickly composed herself. "In the car, after the case with the doctor, I told you I loved you." Her words came out almost robotic sounding, as though she prepared them beforehand.

His heart momentarily stopped. Did she just say those three words? And so casually? They were so foreign, yet, not because he had dreamed that this would someday happen. But the time was so very wrong. He was with Hannah, he loved Hannah—wait, did she say the case about a doctor? There hadn't been a case involving a doctor in quite some time. "What case case are you talking about?"

She looked annoyed now. "Our last case."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Our last case is how you ended up here, Bones. Don't you remember? The bullet to the head?"

Now she looked confused. "Of course.' She took a moment to think, shaking her head slightly. "Things are still all jumbled up, it must have been the case before."

The little spark that had begun to form quickly faded away as he realized that whatever happened, whatever she said, must have been an hallucination, a figment of her imagination, or something along those lines. He knew it was quite common for comatose patients, heck he'd had a hallucination from simply hitting his head against ice, so he knew the feeling. He knew how real it all felt, but mostly he knew he had to set her straight. "That—"

"It was irrational of me to blurt it out, no matter the situation," she continued, not waiting for him to speak. "I know you are with Hannah and I have no intention of slitting you two apart."

Booth took a moment to digest her words. She had uttered it during an imaginary case... maybe they were experiencing a near-death scenario. She probably didn't mean it, even if it was just an hallucination or something. But how would he tell her? How did he break it to the smartest person he knew that she was wrong. That she let her mind play tricks on her.

"Booth say something." She pleaded, those blue eyes filling with tears.

He realized now his mouth was hanging open—he instantly shut it. Swallowing, he began to speak again, "Bones, that never happened."

"Of course it did." She insisted.

"No, no it didn't. Bones, I think you had a dream, or a hallucination, or something. The meds are messing with your mind. That... that never happened."

She looked angry. "I am not crazy!" She screamed, taking him by surprise. "It did happen. It was real! Even Micah knew I loved you!"

"Micah? Who's Micah?"

"The night watchman at the lab!" She fumed.

"Hey, hey, calm down Bones." He shushed, genuinely worried about her well-being. "It's okay, I had the same type—"

Bones looked ready to pull his head off. "I am not crazy!"

His attempt to keep her quiet completely failed epically as the night nurse rushed into the room. "Get out of here, Agent Booth."

"But I—"

"NOW!" She left no room for negotiation.

With slumped shoulders, Booth made his way out the door, only looking back to see the nurse, a perfect stranger, comforting Bones. _That should have been me._

_

* * *

_

He didn't see Bones the rest of the day, no one did. Doctor Copeland had told them that Bones was tired and needed her rest, but Booth suspected that their little incident had something to do with it.

He still couldn't understand her frustration, her anger towards him. He was just trying to help her out and she went all crazy on him. He was so confused. He spent the remainder of the day in the hospital waiting room, just thinking it over again.

"Booth…"

The FBI agent closed his eyes. "Not now, Sweets," he begged, already having a bad day. "Can we do the shrink talk later?"

Sweets took the seat across from him. "I know you don't want to talk about this, Booth, but I—"

"Please, Sweets, not now."

"If you would just—"

"I can't take any more bad news!" Booth fumed at the small man. "Bones is not right in the head, I got that—she confirmed that for me when she told me she loved me, okay?"

"Doctor Brennan's condition may not be as bad as I first thought…" he paused, realization hitting him. His eyes lit up and his mouth gaped open. "She told you she loved you?"

"Wait—Bones is going to be okay?" Booth asked, shocked.

It was obvious is took a lot of self-control to not continue with the love conversation, but Sweets nodded and straightened up, acting professional. "Unfortunately… or fortunately in this case, my first analysis on Doctor Brennan's condition was not inaccurate. I had a talk with her doctor and understand the situation better. The bullet just missed her—"

"I don't care about the scientific babble, just _tell _me." He begged.

Sweets smiled understandingly. "The bullet didn't hit any major pr—… any major _stuff_ in her head," he said, dumbing it down. "In time the body will start to repair the damage done to it on its own. The only cause for concern is a chance of infection, which I'm sure you were told, is very high for the cases. I—"

"But she's going to be okay, right?" He asked, wanting the clarification.

"Yes, Doctor Brennan should be good as new. I'm sorry for worrying you last night. I—"

Booth began to chuckle, cutting the psychologist short. Shaking his head, his chuckles escalated to full-blown laughter. He laughed until his sides hurt and then some, all the while the young psychologist stared cautiously, looking worried and confused.

"Agent Booth—"

"I don't know if I… if I should punch you or hug you right now." He managed between peels of laughter, which slowly began to die down.

Sweets smiled. "I'd take a hug."

Booth finally caught his breath. He wiped away the tears that had formed, _happy tears_. "Seriously though, she's going to be okay?"

"Yes." Sweets answered simply. "She's going to be okay."

"Thank God." Booth exhaled. "I don't know what I would have done… you know, if she wasn't the same. It would have killed me to see her like that… you know, _different_, not like herself, not… Bones."

The psychologist folded his hands, interested. "Why would it have disturbed you so?"

Booth looked confused. "What do you mean? You wouldn't have cared? You wouldn't have cared if Bones wasn't the same?"

"I didn't say that," Sweets assured. "It would have disturbed me greatly, but I was wondering, why would it have disturbed _you_? It's totally understandable, but it's life. Doctor Brennan would have been able to live a decent life, able to hold down a steady job… she would have been able to move on."

Booth sucked in a breath. "I wouldn't have. I couldn't live with her like that. Bones doesn't deserve a _decent_ life; she deserves the best of life. She doesn't belong in an environment where she's praised for tying her own damn shoes or eating with a fork. She wouldn't have wanted to live that way, I know it and so do you. She would have rather died than loose the person she was, the person she _is_…"

Sweets nodded understandingly. "Okay."

"Okay what? Aren't you going to tell me what that means? Like I'm a jerk for saying that or something?"

"No, not at all. I asked you a question and you answered it truthfully, I totally respect that." Sweets leaned in closer to Booth. "I do have one more question for you though."

Booth sighed. "What's that?"

"How did you feel when Doctor Brennan told you she loved you?"

* * *

Drop a note and let me know what you think. Your reviews might just heal up my hand… ;)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: You all should be proud of me for getting this chapter up so quick, and with classes starting again and all. ;)

* * *

_"How did you feel when Doctor Brennan told you she loved you?"_

He didn't allow himself to dwell on the question, to really think about an answer before he responded, "I thought she was crazy, that she hallucinated the whole thing."

Sweets eyes squinted as he focused on Booth's facial expression. "You sure? You didn't get excited or feel anything?"

"No, Sweets, I didn't. I knew it wasn't real." He rolled his eyes.

"How did you know that?"

Booth shrugged. "Because I would have remembered that conversation."

"Right." The psychologist nodded, thinking over his response. "So you didn't get excited in the littlest bit? It wasn't too long ago that you admitted you felt the same way…"

The FBI agent sighed and ducked his head, regretting the words that were forming on his lips. "Yes, fine, I got a _little_ excited, okay? Who wouldn't? The woman I was in love with a year ago admitted to have feelings for me, it made me happy… it made me mad."

"It made you mad because…?"

Booth threw his hands up in the air, annoyed. "It made me mad that it took her this long to figure it out. It made me mad that she told me this when I'm already in a relationship, a great relationship I might add, with an amazing woman, whom I love. It made me mad that she said anything at all."

"It was an hallucination." Sweets spoke softly in a calming tone. "She was apologizing for a hallucination in which she thought she admitted her feelings for you. The only reason she mentioned it now is because she felt as though she was inappropriate, that she owed you some explanation for her behavior, for what she said."

"You're saying that she regretted saying she loved me even if she didn't actually say she loved me?"

Sweets hesitated. "I'm saying that's definitely a possibility. I think you need to realize that Doctor Brennan's state of mind is vulnerable right now. She's having trouble distinguishing between her memories and dreams. I can't tell you that she didn't mean what she said to you during her hallucination. There's a lot of research being done in this field, a lot of experts believe what we dream is really our subconscious talking to us, but there's others who disagree. Nothing can be proven, so—"

"So you're saying that I don't know if she meant what she said or not." Booth stated, cutting to the chase.

"Yes."

Booth let a breath out. He should have felt relieved. She may have not meant it, and if that was the case, nothing had to change. They could go back to the way it was. But what happened if she did mean it and she didn't want to work with him anymore? He almost groaned at the thought. He couldn't imagine that. Surely Bones was too rational to let personal feelings get in the way of a working relationship.

"What are you thinking?"

Sweets words brought him back to reality. "Nothing." He lied. "I should probably go… call Hannah or something."

"I think we should continue to talk about this conversation," Sweets tried to persuade as the agent stood from his seat. "We're making progress, Booth. We—"

"Look, I appreciate all you've done, really I am, but I'm not going to be your guinea pig for this. I can't. This is too… too real for that, too close to home. I can't handle you analyzing every thought I have, every move I make. I need to think… get my head straight."

"Seems like you've done a lot of thinking recently."

Booth paused mid step, absorbing his words, before he made his way out of the room.

* * *

He never did call Hannah, but she had tried to call four times and he ignored the calls each time. He didn't feel like talking to her… to anyone really. He had so much to figure out… but not really, there was nothing to figure out. Brennan possibly loving him meant nothing, it wasn't going to change anything. He was with Hannah and their relationship was good. Really good.

With Hannah he had something he couldn't have with Bones. He had someone who loved him, who didn't believe it was simply a chemical reaction. He had someone he could rely on, who wouldn't walk away when things go bad because it was irrational to stay together. He needed someone who could understand feelings, a person who would share their deepest secrets with. Someone he could have a future with, who wanted kids just to have kids, not because they thought their genetics needed to be passed down. He had all that with Hannah, but it would never happen with Bones.

Hannah had all the characteristics that he liked in Bones. She was smart, adventurous, hot, and tough as hell. She put people in their place… but she wasn't as awkward, wasn't as funny as Bones. She got jokes; she understood the common sayings and phrases. She just didn't have any of the little quirks that made Bones so great, so unique. Like hating baked fruit, he loved Bones for that, even though it was his favorite, because it was cute.

Booth straightened in his seat outside the hospital. When had he started comparing them? Why must he compare every woman he dated to Bones? Was she the standard—it didn't matter. He had no right to compare. He was with Hannah, not Bones. He loved Hannah, not Bones… why was that so hard for him to comprehend?

He groaned to himself. Damn complication. He needed to talk to her. He needed to talk to Bones. He needed to understand what she really meant.

With determination, he went back into the hospital. He no longer cared to respect the wishes of Bones—when had she respected others wishes anyways? He entered her room and just about slammed the door behind him. He hadn't realized how angry he was.

Bones tensed, startled by his interruption. "What are you doing here? I requested no visitors."

If he had been in a better mood he may have realized her puffy, red eyes weren't a normal side affect of anything but crying. "Why did you do that?" He asked, his voice tense. "Why did you say that to me?"

Bones closed her eyes and turned away from him, not answering.

"God damnit, answer me. Why would you say that?"

"I won't speak to you when you're like this."

Booth clenched his fists before willing himself to calm down… a bit. "Bones," his voice was softer now. "Please, just help me understand."

Bones, still turned away from him, sniffled. "The doctor explained my current state of mind to me, as I am sure she did to you. I was not right in the head when I spoke and—"

"But you said it!" Booth interrupted. "You still said you loved me!"

"I apologized for something I thought happened, and I will apologize again for making you angry. My actions, however irrational they were, for meant for good, not to cause you anger."

Her apology made things worse. For being a smart person she was so stupid. Did she never think before she spoke? How in the world, even Bones' twisted world, did she think admitting her feelings was going to make everything better?

She sniffled again.

"Bones… you shouldn't have said anything. I'm with Hannah… you just don't say things like that."

"I know," her voice sounded weak and frail, despite her attempt to sound nonchalant. "But what do you want me to do? I can't take it back. Time travel is theoretically impossible. There's nothing I can do to fix this."

Booth sighed. She was right. What did he expect from her? "God Bones…" He scratched his head, trying to form words. "I don't know… I…"

He heard a muffled whimper and looked at her in confusion. He watched her shoulders shake hard but silently. He immediately realized what was happening, Bones was crying. His Bones was crying.

"Hey," he walked to the other side of the bed, her face now in plain sight. He gazed over her scrunched features, her eyes squeezed tight with tears oozing out of every which direction. It practically killed him. "Bones…"

"Please…" she spoke, her voice broken with a sob. "Please just go. Just go, Booth."

He couldn't, not with her like this. He kneeled beside the bed, his face inches away from hers. "Bones…" he tried to form more words, but his mind drew a blank.

She opened her eyes, staring at him. "Just leave me alone. It's not rational, I know it was never real, but I can't do this again. Please, don't make me do this again."

His heart couldn't take the pain he had caused to her. He felt like a big time jerk. He wished he could replay it all, take back everything he said… but he couldn't. All he could do is watch her cry and try to find the words to help.

Bones' cries grew louder and stronger, until he thought she would stop breathing altogether. He slid his arm onto his shoulder and shushed her, trying to calm her. His hand had a mind of its own as it started to caress her shoulder in a circular motion. "It's okay, Bones. I didn't mean… I'm sorry if I upset you."

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath before speaking again. "I don't understand… I don't understand why, because it's not rational—it's not possible, but it appears that my heart can feel my distress."

Booth closed his eyes, angry with himself. He broke the unbreakable heart.

"I don't… I… I feel…" she trailed off, still trying to compose herself. "It was bad enough telling you the first time, but to have you reject me a second time is just too much for me right now. I'm not… I can't think clearly right now. I can't make sense of this. There's no logical reason that this should hurt physically. I… there…"

He felt like crying himself. Never had he seen someone, let alone his Bones, so distraught. So confused, so very broken. "Shh," he finally spoke. "Bones, I'm sorry… I—"

"Stop apologizing. It only makes it worse." She cried.

He didn't know what to do, how to help her. With his face literally three inches away, he unconsciously found himself lean forward and kiss her. On the lips. It hadn't been intentional, he didn't know what he was trying to do, but the moment their lips touched each other everything felt right. Her crying stopped almost immediately. He could taste her tears, the saltiness almost overwhelming. It didn't last long, three steamboats at the max, before she pulled away. Her eyes were wide in shock. He opened his mouth to explain, but someone gasped from the other side of the room, causing him to look up.

Hannah was there, at the door, standing with her mouth gaped open. She looked confused, hurt, and angry all at once—as she should be. He had just kissed another woman! He had just kissed Bones!

"Hannah…" his voice broke, how stupid he had been. What was wrong with him? What was he thinking?

Bones followed his gaze, her eyes falling upon her partner's girlfriend. She looked unnaturally embarrassed.

Hannah didn't say anything. After taking a few breaths, she turned and walked out the door…

* * *

Okay, seeing as how most of you were probably waiting for a chapter like this, I think you should review and let me know how I did. :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Don't hate me everyone. I'm sorry—I won't give any excuses, just my apology. And, for the record, I know many of you hate Hannah and want her dead… I will admit I might be the only one out there who actually likes Hannah. Not for Booth per say, but I definitely like her in the show right now because she's waking Bones up (and hopefully Booth!). I'll truly be sorry to see her leave, but I think I'll be happier to see Booth and Brennan finally get together! :D

* * *

_Hannah didn't say anything. After taking a few breaths, she turned and walked out the door…_

Booth now understood what a man felt like the exact moment they were caught cheating on their wife—and it definitely was not a nice feeling. It was a horrible, guilty, gut-wrenching feeling that made you sick to your stomach. It made you suddenly aware of all you have… or had, and all that you just threw away on some other woman. It made you panic and suddenly lose the ability to speak.

He didn't know how long Hannah had been there, or what all she had seen, but she had definitely witnessed enough. He stood, ready to run after her, but before he made it to the door, Hannah was back.

"Okay," she said with a forced calm voice. She crossed her arms, her breathing irregular. "Okay, please tell me there is a good reason for this."

"Um…"

Hannah looked at Booth, her eyes pleading. "Don't bullshit around, Seeley. I know you, and I know you." She looked at Bones now. "There had better be some damn rational explanation."

"Hannah I… I…" Booth stammered, unsure how to define what happened when he wasn't even sure himself. "We—"

Bones cleared her throat and sniffled back her tears. "It was my fault." She spoke up, sounding more like the scientist than the wounded woman he had seen seconds before. "I have been experiencing side affects from the medication and loss of memory and confusion from when the bullet penetrated my brain. I was confused… memories got jumbled up… I was not in full control of my actions…"

Hannah looked even more confused. "I don't understand. Is that your explanation?"

"No," Bones began again. "No it's not… the reason why _I _kissed Booth is completely irrational now that I know the events that I witnessed—that I thought I witnessed—were mere fabrications of my mind. While I was comatose I dreamed Booth and I loved each other and so when I woke up I believed that dream to be reality. Booth was in the process of setting me straight when I kissed him. I am sorry. Truly. I did not mean to hurt you or put either of you in this situation."

Booth stared at her, dumbfounded. She had _lied_ to cover _him_. The woman who believed in truth and only the truth had spat out a lie faster than he could think of an explanation. Why would she do that? Why would she say she was the one to kiss him? Shouldn't she want him to break up with Hannah? Isn't that what all girls secretly wanted the man they loved to do?

Hannah took a moment to process Bones' words. He wasn't sure she was going to buy it, but it didn't surprise him when his girlfriend nodded—Bones had been pretty darn convincing.

"Okay," Hannah finally spoke, her voice quiet and back to normal. "I can't imagine all you have been through, Temperance… and I'm sorry you were ever in this position. I—"

"I'm sorry." Bones interrupted. "Trust me, it will never happen again."

Hannah nodded again. "I know… I know that, I do… it's just…" she looked at Booth. "I know the two of you… I know you two have feelings—"

"Hannah," Booth interrupted this time, taking a step towards her. "I promise you that it was an accident. I love you. I want to be with you. You know I wouldn't say that if it wasn't true."

The reporter sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, thinking on his words. "I know that too." She finally spoke after a moment of silence.

Booth smiled, pulled her close, and kissed her. As he pulled away, he tried to convince himself it did _not _feel different than before. He snuck a glance at Bones, who looked about ready to cry again, despite the smile planted on her aching face. He could tell she couldn't hold it together much longer… and it killed him all over again. He was hurting her so bad and there was nothing he could do about it.

Smiling, Hannah looked over at Bones. "So how are you feeling today?"

"Tired." Bones responded simply, her eyes speaking so much more.

Booth thought he saw Hannah frown from the corner of his eye, but when he looked at her she was still smiling.

"Well, I guess we'll leave and let you rest. I hope you feel better, Temperance."

The anthropologist smiled. "Thank you, Hannah."

Hannah, who was holding his hand, started to pull Booth with her out of the room, but he slipped his hand from her grasp. He looked at her and spoke in a low voice, "I need to tell her something."

The girlfriend nodded understandingly. "Sure. I'll just be outside."

"Thanks," he whispered, watching her leave. He turned to his partner. "Bones…"

"Booth, just go." She whispered, broken. "Please, it'll be easier for both of us if we just forget it."

He didn't understand how it was so simple for her. "I'm sorry." He whispered back. "I'm going to call Angela and ask her to stay with you."

She didn't argue. She simply turned her head away from him.

He left the room feeling like the biggest jerk alive.

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?" Hannah's concerned voice asked as he met up with her outside of Bones' room.

_I don't know_. "Yeah!" He said with false confidence and smile. "Of course she will be. This is Bones. When is Bones not okay?"

Hannah wrapped her arm around his and pulled him close. "Temperance is still a woman, Seeley. No matter how tough and apathetic she is, this can't be easy for her. It wouldn't be easy for anyone."

He swallowed, trying to hide his shame. "She'll be fine."

The reporter turned and looked at him in the eyes, as if she was trying to read his thoughts. Finally she gave a sad smile. "Maybe you're right. But I know if I was in her place, no matter how rational I was, if I thought I was with a guy as great as you and then had that pulled away from me… I wouldn't be okay. I feel for her."

Booth nodded. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Angela. I appreciate your concern but I wish that you wouldn't be so persistent."

Angela hesitated before handing her best friend the small mirror. "You have to promise me that you won't freak out or anything. It's not that bad, I promise."

Brennan accepted the object and held it to her face. For the first time since her injury she saw her reflection… it was an ugly sight. Her head had been shaved of her once beautiful hair, but it was hardly noticeable underneath the white bandages that wrapped around her scalp. She didn't think twice before pushing the gauze off from her forehead, revealing the hideous injury that looked like a mess of blood and stitches. There was a hole, a nasty hole that her skin was trying to repair but would never be able to truly do.

"I know it's not pretty," Angela began, "but there are some amazing plastic surgeons who work wonders. That scar will be gone in no time… and your hair will grow back quick enough, and there's always wigs…"

The anthropologist nodded through her tears. "Thanks, Ange."

"Aww, sweetie…" her friend slid her arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened to you. You have no idea. When Booth first called me, I was about ready to shoot him for letting you go with him."

Brennan didn't feel the need to tell Angela that it was not Booth's fault. She understood the irrational thinking of a person going through distress.

"Here," Angela pulled the bandage back over the wound and took the mirror away. "I think you've seen enough."

"It is surprising how much ones' hair can alter their looks." Brennan stated. "My appearance is quite horrendous."

"Don't say that," the artist ordered. "Your hair will grow back."

Brennan nodded. "I know. I'm very beautiful; once it grows back my appearance will be once again attractive. In the meantime wigs will help. I would be very grateful if you would help me shop for some."

"Of course."

"Thank you." Brennan said, a small sigh following her response.

Angela pulled a chair closer to the bed and took a seat. She folded her hands and bit her bottom lip, as if she was holding something back. Brennan recognized the expression immediately.

"Just say whatever it is you want to say."

"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but I would be a horrible friend if I didn't ask again…" She paused. "I just wish you would tell me what happened between you and Booth."

Brennan groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ange, please…"

"I'm sorry, but as your best friend I want to be here for you and you won't let me."

"I am letting you. You are here." Brennan said, confused.

Now Angela rolled her eyes. "I meant emotionally here for you, Bren, not just physically. When Booth called me he seemed so worried about you. I have never heard him be so adamant about anything before. This tells me something happened between you two."

Brennan didn't respond.

"Was it something to do with Hannah?"

"No!" Brennan responded, annoyed. "Yes… no, I don't know… I'm sorry, I can't do this again…"

"That's okay, I think I understand." Angela said sadly.

Brennan shook her head. "No you don't. I don't even understand, and I am one of the smartest people alive."

Angela held back a chuckle.

"I have never felt so irrational and out of control in my life. I've felt things that are impossible. I've said thing I normally wouldn't normally say. I've done things I can't change… worst of all; I remember things that never really happened. I know that I am not fully in control of my actions and feelings at the moment, but I feel like I've woken up in someone else's mind. These thoughts… I—… what is wrong with me? When did all this happen?"

Brennan had started crying mid-rant. In any other circumstance it probably would have freaked Angela out, but her friend held her ground. She reached over and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I lied… I lied to spare Hannah's feelings, just as I would to spare the feelings of a victim's family. But I didn't feel better about it as I normally do. It hurt. It hurt to lie… it hurt to not tell her the truth. I don't understand it, Angela. I feel as though I lost the ability to be rational, to pull myself away from the circumstance, to see it from an outsiders view."

"Bren," Angela began carefully. "You haven't lost anything. You're on medication that is messing with your mind. You were _shot _in the head. You are experiencing normal side affects, both from your injury and your broken heart."

Brennan shook her head, sniffling back her tears again. "No, that is impossible. If my heart was broken I would be dead."

Angela smiled sadly. "I know."

The anthropologist seemed confused, but didn't ask for clarification. Angela's logic never made sense to her anyways.

"Sweetie, can I suggest something?"

"Of course." Brennan responded, composed now.

"Don't try to understand the feelings. Don't try to analyze or diagnose anything. Just let them be. I guarantee if you distance yourself from this, if you try to rationalize it, that you will. You will be able to tell me which chemical in your body reacted with this other chemical and it led to some imbalance of some kind or another…"

Brennan seemed ever more confused. "Why wouldn't I want to do that?"

"Because," she sighed, "because if you do that, you'll miss out."

"On what?"

"On your heartbreak, on your recovery, on your next adventure. Bren, I know this isn't easy. I know you haven't really let yourself feel things like this before, and the only reason you are now is because you're not in full control of your body. But I'm telling you, despite the pain you're in, this is good for you. This is normal. I know it might not seem like it, but this is what us ordinary folks go through all the time."

The anthropologist wiped away a tear. "How can you live like this? It hurts too much."

"I know it does, Sweetie. It'll get easier, I promise."

"And if it doesn't?"

Angela hesitated. _Then Booth is a bigger idiot than I thought._ "Then you go back to being the old Temperance Brennan."

* * *

Hopefully Brennan didn't seem too out of character. It's not easy for me to write her in emotional scenes because we haven't seen her in a lot of them and it's hard to predict her reaction. In any case, I hope the length of this chapter makes up a tiny bit for the delay. Drop a note letting me know what you think. :)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Darn classes- that's all I have to say. :P

* * *

Booth took another swig of beer and leaned his head back against the couch with a sigh. It was four o'clock in the morning; Hannah had gone to bed hours ago, despite her persistence in staying up to talk. He couldn't talk—not to her, not now. She seemed to understand, but he could swear she seemed disappointed he wouldn't confide in her. But how could he? The kiss had nothing to do with her; it was between him and Bones.

_But she's my girlfriend_. How could he hide this from her? He couldn't let her believe the lie—it went against everything he believed in. It felt so wrong, keeping the truth from her. So wrong that it was getting hard to breathe.

Without a second thought, Booth stood and practically ran into his bedroom, where his girlfriend slept. "Hannah, we need to talk."

The blond stirred but didn't waken.

"Hannah." His tone was louder this time.

She opened her eyes drowsily, blinking slowly. When she realized he was standing next to her, she quickly sat up and rubbed her eyes, alert. "Seeley what's wrong? Is it Temperance?"

Booth froze. He realized in that moment if he told her he would both jeopardize his relationship with this amazing woman as well as potentially ruin one of Bones' only true friendships. What right did he have to do that—to tear away a friend from Bones in the middle of her trauma?

"Is she okay?" Hannah tugged on his hands, sitting him on the bed beside her. Her concern was overwhelming.

"No, she's fine…" he began, scrambling for a sane reason to explain his actions, "I just…"

Hannah waited patiently, her eyes burning holds through him.

"I just wanted to thank you, Hannah. For being there for Bones… and for me. I know these last couple days haven't been the easiest for anyone. I'm sorry if I—"

Hannah placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "No apologies, Seeley. You have nothing to be sorry about."

Booth groaned mentally.

"I know this has been killing you. I just wish you'd let me in a bit more. Temperance is my friend too; I feel like you've been pushing me away from her." Hannah smiled sadly. "I know she doesn't have a lot of friends; I want to be there for her."

The FBI agent nodded. "I know you do." He smiled, pushing aside a piece of her hair. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yep, but it's always nice to be reminded."

"Well I do." He said again, leaning over to kiss her. "You're perfect."

The blond laughed. "Yeah, well I won't be if I don't get my beauty sleep. Come on, join me."

Booth forced a groan as he rolled over to his side of the bed and slipped under the covers. "If you insist…"

* * *

Hannah shoved a forkful of watermelon into her mouth just as someone knocked at her cubicle. She looked up to see Angela standing there, a hesitant smile on her face. The reporter waved her hand, motioning her to sit as she swallowed her fruit.

"Hey Angela," Hannah began hesitantly; closing the lid to her laptop, sensing this was going to be one of those serious talks. "What brings you here?"

Angela pulled the guest chair closer to the desk. "Um… I don't know how to say it…"

"I've come to realize when people respond like that, it usually means it's a difficult subject." She read Angela's expression and knew she was right.

"You're smart, Hannah. I'm going to beat around the bush…"

Hannah nodded, appreciating her honesty. She had a pretty good idea what was bothering Angela anyway—it was probably the same thing that kept her boyfriend up all night.

"I'll say it again; you're smart—very smart. I'm sure you've noticed the signs…" Angela sucked in a breath. "Booth and Brennan have a terrific work relationship, as I'm sure you know. They've been almost inseparable since the beginning. However, over the years it's become more than that. They're also best friends; they complement each other… and I'm sure Booth has told you what happened a year ago…"

She was referring to when Seeley was in love with her. He had confessed that after they both got back to the states. "Yes."

"Okay, so you know he loves her…"

"Loved," Hannah automatically corrected, as she had been doing for the last several months.

Angela smiled sadly. "Wake up, Hannah. I mean, really. I like you, I really do. I think you and Booth are good for each other, but come on, wake up."

Hannah swallowed, her words hurting more than they should have. She blinked back a few tears and straightened up. "Thank you for stopping by, Angela."

Angela nodded, standing as she did. "Okay. I'm sorry, I know I'm the last person you probably wanted to hear from today, but I felt as if I needed to say something. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way."

"You didn't," Hannah assured, her emotions controlled. "By the way, how is Temperance?"

Angela stopped at the door. "She's hurting." With those words, she left.

Hannah let out a shaky breath as realization took hold of her mind. She couldn't believe she had let herself be fooled. Who was she kidding? She saw the signs right away. Why did Seeley such a good guy? The 'love is blind' statement had never been truer…

* * *

This day was harder for Booth than the previous four days combined. He wasn't allowed to see Bones—Angela had made that quite clear and he completely understood—he just didn't like it. He wanted to talk to her about the kiss, about her hallucinations, about everything; not talking was driving him insane.

Finally at about midnight he couldn't take it anymore. His world as he knew it was shifting dramatically and he didn't like it one bit—he was going to stop it.

Once again he found his way to Bones' hospital door, where he didn't belong and was most definitely not welcome. He hesitated, struggling within himself to do the right thing. He didn't want to do anything that would hurt Bones; he didn't want to push her over the edge—she had been through enough crap already. But he couldn't let things just stay the same; he couldn't just let it all go… she meant too much for him to do that.

With a groan, Booth pushed open the door. "Bones, please—"

"Out." Angela ordered before he could get another word in. "You need to leave, now Booth. I thought I made it quite clear that you are not welcome here."

"Just let me—"

Angela placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him towards the door with more force than he would have credited her. "No, not now."

He struggled against her grip, slipping out a moment later. He pushed past the pregnant friend and hurried to Bones' side. She looked annoyed, but not as weak and pathetic as she had earlier. "Bones, please…"

"Don't you get it, Booth?" Bones began. "I can't do this right now. I can't handle—"

"That's what I want to talk about. I'm not about to let this friendship—this relationship fall to pieces because we're on different levels right now. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I hurt you. You have to know I didn't mean to; that I would never mean to…"

"I know that, but—"

"But nothing!" Booth said, casting a quick glance at Angela as she backed off, her arms crossed. She was pissed. "I care about you, Bones. I really do. You're my best friend. I love working with you. I don't want that to change. I don't think it has to change."

Bones looked confused. "Who said anything about it changing? Our working relationship is very productive. I'm fairly positive if I were assigned new FBI agent that we would not be as productive as we are together. It would be irrational to break such a working relationship merely because of emotions."

She was so damn rational—that's why he loved her. Wait… love? "Bones… I…" realization was hitting him hard. How was it possible to be in love with two people at the same time?

"What's going on?"

The voice made him jump—it was Hannah's. He felt like he had been caught cheating all over again, and maybe he had.

This wasn't going to be easy at all. Two pairs of eyes were upon him, burning four holes into his head. The next words out of his mouth could change his future in an instant. They would break someone's heart, and ruin a friendship or relationship. He didn't want to say anything. He wanted to pretend like none of this happened. He wanted to go back to the way things were, before they were so complicated, but he couldn't. That would be an easy out. He had to do it the hard way; he had to do it the right way...

* * *

Okay, so this chapter was a _bit _rushed, I apologize. Hope you liked it anyway. I'll update soon! :D


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So if there is anyone left reading this story that is a miracle. I can't believe how long I have taken to update, it is ridiculous. This is the very reason I normally finish writing stories before I publish them, so I don't keep people waiting. So if there is anyone who is still writing this story, I want to apologize.

I also apologize for the lameness of this chapter. I am trying to quickly end this story since I've lost all inspiration to finish it. Sorry about that.

* * *

Hannah stepped further into the room, her eyes looking only at Booth, as though Brennan and Angela were not even present.

Angela must have sensed the tension, because before anyone else could say a word, she stepped in front of the couple, her hands held up in surrender. "Please guys, not in here. Do not drag Temperance into your argument. You've put her through enough, and—"

"Angela you were right," Hannah interrupted softly, the words silencing her

"What?" The artist looked confused.

Hannah took in a breath before continuing. "You told me to wake up and see, and I did. I don't know how I've allowed myself to blindly believe otherwise. Thank you. And this will be simple, I promise you." She looked at Brennan. "Doctor Brennan; I'm not here to create a big scandal."

"Then why are you here?" Booth asked, confused by her words, confused by Angela's words.

"To see you," she answered. "To tell you that it's over, Seeley. I love you, and a part of me will probably always will. You're the most decent guy I've ever known, but that's exactly why we can't do this anymore. I told you before I'm not the settling down type, and I can see clearly that you are. I'm sorry I've allowed it to go this far, I truly am. I didn't mean to hurt you… either of you." She turned and looked at Brennan again, who's eyes had begun watering. "If I had known…" she looked back at Booth. "If I had known I would have gotten this attached, I wouldn't have started anything. And I need to leave, before it gets too hard not to."

"Hannah," Booth's voice broke. "That—"

"Don't try to stop me. We've both known that this was never a long-term relationship." She wiped back her tears. "Don't mistake this for being easy, Seeley. This is the hardest thing I've had to do, but I _have _to do it. I'll be by your place to get my stuff."

Hannah turned to leave, but stopped a foot from the door and turned to Brennan. "It was nice getting to know you, Temperance. I think God you're alive. Get better, and best of luck."

Two pairs turned their gaze to Booth, watching him stand there like a fool, mouth wide open as he stared into space.

Brennan was the first to speak, her voice full of hesitation and worry. "Booth…?"

The FBI agent snapped out of his thoughts. "I have to go." He said, still standing in place.

Angela and Brennan both nodded understandingly.

Booth didn't say anything else as he shuffled his way out of the hospital room, seeming to be in a daze.

"What did you say to Hannah?" Brennan asked, her voice laced with irritation.

Angela shook her head, looking dumbfounded herself. "I have no idea…"

* * *

He had tried to talk to Hannah some more, to understand what happened, to try and convince her to reconsider, but she was done. Done with talking, done with him. She tried to assure him it was nothing he did, but he couldn't help but feel responsible in some way. The last few days had been weird between them. Ever since he called her about Bones' condition, things had not been normal. Maybe he should have done something about it then, maybe he would have been able to save the only true relationship he had been in the last few years. Maybe he would not have lost the woman he loved… again.

Booth sat up from his couch he had collapsed on hours earlier. He suddenly realized how okay he was with this entire situation. He should have been devastated by now. He should be at a bar, drinking away his sorrows. Or at least at home, draining the last of his alcohol stash. Instead he was contemplating Hannah's actions and what he could have done different. He wasn't broken hearted—he wasn't sure how he would describe his emotions—relief?

That didn't seem right. He was in love with Hannah, why was relief the response he felt to her dumping him?

_Bones._

Booth placed his hand over his mouth at the realization. He wasn't sure how, but for some reason just the very thought of his partner completely nullified the heartbreak, the distress he should have felt. There was no logical reasoning why that was. Despite her recent actions in which she apologize for telling him, or at least her hallucination of him, that she loved him, he knew things between them would never work out. They were too different… they had missed their chance long along. At least that's what he kept telling himself, his heart seemed to have other plans as at just the very thought of love and Bones, his heartbeat increased.

The events of the last couple days, the confusion of it all was flooding his mind, attacking the little bit of sense he had left. It was almost overwhelming. But in that exact moment, there was a split second of clarity. It was the only thing that made sense in a world of confusion.

_Bones. _

Maybe they wouldn't work out, he didn't know. Truthfully, that didn't matter to him at this precise moment. Years of partnership replayed, exploring memories and resurfacing old feelings. He pulled himself from memory lane, realizing yet again some simple facts he didn't realize he had forgotten. Temperance Brennan was an extraordinary woman. No, not just an extraordinary woman, but an extraordinary person. No one in his life had ever showed him the loyalty, devotion, support, and—dare he think it—the love that she had during the years they had spent together. She had sacrificed her own welfare for him, for his happiness, time and time again. If that was not love, then what the hell was? And if that was love, what the hell was he still doing here?

* * *

It was nearly midnight; Angela had left some time ago at the insistence of her husband. Cam had come by to visit, but she did not stay long, to which Brennan was secretly grateful. It was very tiring to pretend everything was okay. Though convincing her friends was easy enough; all she had to do was put on happy face and reassure them that she, as a robotic person with no feelings, was not at all bothered by anything, least of all Booth. The tiring part, the draining part, was when she tried to convince herself of the same thing.

But everything was not okay, nor would it be okay. She knew it was her fault that Hannah had broken up with Booth, and she didn't doubt that he would resent her for that. She also didn't doubt that he was probably still talking to the blonde, reassuring her that he had no feelings for the anthropologist, and sooner or later they would patch things up and be a happy couple again. She knew she should be happy for them, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't muster up that emotion.

She heard the door open and unconsciously prayed that it wouldn't be Booth. To her relief, it wasn't. It was the night nurse, Andra, checking up on her. As she did her routine check on the machines, she chit-chatted about nothing and everything. It wasn't until she asked about Booth that Brennan even paid attention.

"What?"

The nurse laughed. "Didn't mean to embarrass you," she said lightly, referring to the blush that crept upon Brennan's cheeks. "I was just asking about that man who's been visiting you. There's lots of talk going on at the nurse's station, no one's sure what's going on between the two of you and that blondie. The best guess is that he was cheating on you while you were in the coma."

_More like he cheated on her by kissing me. _Brennan surprised herself by thinking.

"But that's just gossip. Obviously we don't know what's really going on between the two of you."

"If you figure it out, let me know, okay?" Brennan said with all seriousness.

Andra gave her a small smile and finished up her work and turned to leave. As she did, the door squeaked open once again and to their surprise, Booth slipped in.

"Hi…" He began, sounding hesitant.

"Maybe you should let me know," Andra said with a wink, walking past Booth and out the door.

Booth seemed confused. "What was that about?" He asked, gesturing towards the nurse.

"Nothing." She lied. "What are you doing here, Booth?"

It was clear he sensed her annoyance, as his face contorted into a wince. "I had to see you." He responded with all honesty.

Brennan swallowed, feeling unnaturally nervous. "I don't want to see you."

She was surprised by the hurt his expressed—mainly because eyes did not express anything. "Bones, please let me talk."

"If you're here to blame me for wh—"

"Of course not!" Booth objected.

Brennan cut her sentence short, but quickly continued with another one. "Or tell me that you and Hannah—"

"I'm not here to talk about Hannah, Bones." The FBI agent said firmly. "But you should know that Hannah and I are over. For good."

"Then why are you here?"

"Did you mean it?" He asked, completely ignoring her question when posing his.

Brennan was confused. "That does not answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine either," he rebutted. "And I think mine is far more important."

"Did I mean what?" She asked, still confused.

Booth took a couple steps towards her bed, then pulled up the nearby chair and sat down. His eyes were wide, as if searching her face for the answer she didn't know. "When you said you loved me… did you mean it?"

Why was he bringing this up again? Didn't he remember where their last conversation like this ended up? Why was he doing this to her? She refused to be part of whatever it was he was trying to do, she pulled her eyes away from his and stared at the ceiling, refusing, without words, to acknowledge his question.

"Bones?"

It would be too hard to lie and say she didn't mean it; it would break her heart all over again.

"Bones," he said again, placing his hand on her arm, which immediately caused goosebumps to form on her skin. "Look at me."

Something about his voice made her turn back to him. Maybe it was the urgency, or the desperation—she wasn't quite sure. "Yes." She barely croaked out. "Yes I meant it."

Booth looked like he was about to cry, but his lips formed a quick smile instead.

"But—" She was about to apologize again, for being part, if not the whole, reason Hannah broke up with him, but Booth gently placed his finger on her lips, silencing her.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait…" He began, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. "I wasn't ready to give you up when Hannah came along. I had never felt about anybody the way I felt about you, and to hear you didn't feel the same was too much. Instead of trying, instead of continuing to pursue the one person I wanted, I gave up. I settled. That wasn't fair… it wasn't fair to me and it was most definitely not fair to you. I should have fought. I should have given you a chance…"

Brennan smiled through her own tears. "Booth—"

"I know I don't deserve—" He cut himself short, his eyes trailing up to her head wound. "… I know that I've hurt you. I know that I don't deserve a second chance, but, Temperance… I love you, and I don't think there has been one single moment in a long time that I haven't. And I'm sorry that it took a bullet to the head and my girlfriend to finally realize that."

The anthropologist let out a shaky breath as she tried to bring her emotions in check. "Booth, if it took me getting shot in the head to realize my affections for you, then I wouldn't trade it for the world. And I'm sorry that—"

Her apology was interrupted by Booth's lips on top of hers. Her mind told her to pull away, to be rational about the situation; but her reflexes took over as she pulled him closer. She momentarily forgot about the world, about the crazy, ridiculousness of life. None of it mattered, not as long as she had Booth.

It was several minutes later before they pulled away, both slightly out of breath. Booth grinned and kissed her nose. "You know what?"

"What?"

"While you've been slacking off in bed, the murderers have been getting away." He teased.

She chuckled slightly. "Not for long."

His grin turned into a full frame smile. "Apparently they found some carcass in a bee hive; the bees were actually using the remains to store their honey."

Brennan's eyes opened wide with interest. "Really?"

The FBI agent nodded. "Yep, the squints are working on it now… too bad their brilliant anthropologist will be recovering for the next couple months."

She playfully smacked it, enjoying the conversation change. "My doctor is completely incompetent. I should be fine to go back to work in a month, two tops."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Booth objected, once again settling his lips upon hers. He stopped mid-kiss and pulled away. "You know I love you, right?"

"Love is a chemical process which causes delusion," she ranted off, smiling. "I must be incredibly delusional right now."

* * *

The end. I know, I know, it was rushed and cut short. I was going to write about her recovery and the process of Booth and Brennan getting together, but to be honest I just wanted to finish this story rather than leave it as it was. Maybe that's ridiculous, maybe I shouldn't have even finished it, but I did. So sue me. ;)


End file.
